Where We Stayed: State College

We stayed at the Hilton Garden Inn during our trip to find housing and a preschool in State College. It's about a mile away from the Penn State campus and downtown State College, so although it's fairly convenient to these areas, you won't want to stay at this hotel without your own transportation.

Overall we were pleased with our stay. Our room was decent-sized and very clean. Although it was not a suite, our room had a "hospitality center" with a microwave and mini-fridge, which was convenient. Whenever my daughter didn't eat much of her dinner, we could get it in a to-go box and heat it up if she felt hungry later.

The hotel also boasted beds with mattresses that you could adjust for firmness. This was a great idea, but we never tried it. The description of where the dials were was not very clear. We spent some time looking for them on and near the wooden headboard without any luck. It wasn't until our last night that we found them on the mattress itself. They were underneath the fitted sheet; the mattress pad has a velcro flap that you pull out to access the dial. When we finally found the dials, we were too tired to play around with them.

Outside of the room, we enjoyed the indoor pool and spa area. It was on the small side, but well-maintained. We also appreciated the complimentary coffee, cocoa, and cookies available in the lobby all day long.

Breakfast: A lot of mid-range hotels include breakfast, but this one does not. A breakfast is offered for 9.95 a person (6.95 for children 12 and under). That price includes a buffet with hot and cold selections. You also can order from a list of hot dishes (omelets made to order, French toast, etc.) that aren't on the buffet at no additional charge. We ate the hotel breakfast one morning when we were pressed for time. We also knew that we wouldn't be able to eat lunch until late that day, so we figured that it would be worth it to eat a big breakfast. Everything was well prepared, and for our situation that day, we felt that it was our best choice because there isn't much for breakfast near the hotel. That said, we went elsewhere every other day. In all, the hotel breakfast is fine if you think you'll get your money's worth from it.
Bathroom: shower/tub combo
Blow dryer: yes
Crib: We didn't use one, but they are available.
Internet: In-room wifi and wired internet are available free of charge. We had no problems with the wifi.
Elevator: yes
Nearest playground: I didn't see anything within walking distance.

Recommend to childless friends: sure

Recommend to friends with young kids: sure
Website: http://www.hiltongardeninn.com/en/gi/hotels/index.jhtml?ctyhocn=SCESTGI